I quite fancy getting a heart rate monitor now i'm exercising a bit more. Partly because I love gadgets really, but also so I can make sure i'm working hard enough.

But I don't suppose anyone knows which are good ones, which ones might link to the TechnoGym equipment at the gym, and most importantly, do i have to wear a chest strap with all of them, or are some of them wrist watches only?

I just can't see myself wearing a chest strap - I have enough issues with my sports bra without trying to wear something else as well. but if it was just a wrist watch type thing, then I'd definitely get one.

Hi. I have a tesco one which you use a strap with and i have to say it is brilliant. Very accurate and can use it along with gym equipment. My friend is a personal trainer and recommended it to me. Only cost £20.Now when i workout i know i am working at my fat burn rate and not just throwing myself around and getting nowhere lol !!

Well I went to the sports shop today and bought one, but I'm not really impressed.
You don't need a chest strap with it, but I thought that I would just wear it as a watch and it would give a constant readout of my heart rate. But it doesn't. You have to hold your finger to the sensor for 5-8 secs for it to give a read out, and you have to be fairly still while you do this - what use is that if I'm jogging at the time!

Also, I'm really small (not weight wise obviously), but I have really small wrists and fingers and stuff, and i really struggle to get it to work. i think because I can't get good contact because I'm too small.
I think I'm probably going to take it back because it really doesn't work for me.

I got polar ladies heart monitor which has been good so far. You need to wear the chest strap with it which I wasn't keen on at first but I've started to forget i'm even wearing it now. It was a about £50 which quite pricey but it stores every exercise you do which I've found really helpful. Plus Rachel, I had the same problem with wrist size but I managed to get a ladies version which really helped.

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